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Thursday, December 31, 2015

Words cannot describe what 2015 was to me. Exhausting - physically, mentally, financially. Liberating - physically, mentally, financially not quite. Once again, I got to travel, I got to race and I got fitter. Much fitter but no less fatter.... T_T

In spite of its many ups and downs, I find myself mostly looking back fondly on the ups. Despite having two trips cancelled, it was good year in terms of personal achievements. Even though I didn't conquer Mount Kinabalu, I did scaled Japan's highest mountain. I may not have gone to Korea, but I did get to enjoy two separate short weekends in Australia with my friends and a long week there with my sister in two cities for three race events. Madness I tell ya!

If I were to list down my 2015 achievements and memorable moments, this is it:

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

My teammate spotted the image of what seemed to be a Triple or Quadruple Trifecta Holder on the international Spartan social media and shared it with the team. This apparently was a leaked image from Spartan.

source: http://blog.mudrunfun.com/

I must admit it was a pretty cool swag to the existing Trifecta wedges and tray. There were talks of a possible Triple Trifecta next year but of course, then someone pointed out it was probably a marketing ploy by Spartan.

I agree and somewhat disagree. Yes, it was probably another Spartan marketing ploy but a triple Trifecta would be too on the point and too straightforward and knowing Spartan Race, it was anything but straightforward.

"Welcome home, My Princess and My Master!" was the greeting my friends and I received from the cheerful maids of @home maid cafe. This was the start of my first maid cafe experience or as the Japanese would say...Meido kafe or meido kissa.

It was quite literally an otaku's day out as we had a full day ahead of us with a guided tour in Akihabara scheduled in the afternoon and a trip to Artnia, the official Square Enix cafe. We started the morning sipping on a cup of coffee while watching the Shibuya crossing from the iconic Starbucks Shibuya.

Getting a window seat at this Starbucks was hard but we got one nonetheless and it was pretty peaceful. The only downside of going so early was that the crowd crossing wasn't that spectacular. On the plus side, Japan has super cute public buses.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Viper 2Four was an event that required not just preparation of the body but also of the things that will be out there with you for all 24 plus hours. Even though we were allowed to leave the camp zone and the race site, it was just better to be prepared to avoid wasting precious time that could be used resting or running the course.

Friday, December 25, 2015

Square Enix's cafe Artnia was at the top of my 'Must visit' list in Tokyo. Having button smashed and trashed my Playstation 2 controllers while playing the Kingdom Heart and Final Fantasy games throughout my high school days, Artnia was the closest thing to Narnia for me (hahaha, see what I did there...)

Artnia actually stands for art, area and near, describing the company's intentions to be near their fans through their merchandises.

The cafe is located right next to the Square Enix Headquarters in Tokyo and directly behind the Higashi-Shinjuku station. Its unique egg-shape was unmistakable and easily recognisable from the street. Almost immediately visitors can make out the imposing silhouette of Sephiroth of Final Fantasy 7 at the window display before entering the cafe.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Marilyn Monroe once sang that 'diamonds are a girl's bestfriend'. So did Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge.

Heeding the words of these iconic performers, Poh Kong has created beautifully curated jewellery pieces that would make you the talk of the town with Tranz by Poh Kong and the Angel Diamond collection which looks as elegant as it sounds.

I am usually not one for the huge statement accessories as I find them too loud and over the top. With the designs of the new collection, I can add subtle touches to my daily OOTD be it for casual wear or office attire. And especially with Chinese New Year just around the corner, it's a good time to look at ways to add a hint of elegance and grace to the red outfit. (And also to make all those kepoh aunties jelly...)

Monday, December 21, 2015

After a scrumptious lunch at Daikokuya Tempura restaurant lunch in Asakusa near the Sensoji temple, we boarded the train along the Asakusa line to the Tokyo Imperial Palace. At this point, DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) from Mount Fuji has set in and I was walking and climbing up and down stairs funny. Why I decided to join the free Imperial Palace walking tour a day after descending a mountain is beyond me.

Oh and in case you didn't catch that, the Tokyo Imperial Palace walking tour was free of charge. All you need to do is book your slot on the official website three months in advance, print out the confirmation slip and arrive at least 30 minutes before the indicated time at the Kikyo-mon Gate. Why 30 minutes?

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Just when you thought their exclusive Star Wars combo was exciting, GSC (Golden Screen Cinemas) is offering more Star Wars: The Force Awakens limited merchandise worth more than RM20,000 in total that you simply must not miss, especially if you are a fan of the Dark Side!

GSC contest!
From 17-30 December, Malaysia's leading exhibitor is taking their Star Wars: The Force Awakens to a whole new level with an exclusive 14-day giveaway. What are they giving away, you ask?

Monday, December 14, 2015

Daikokuya restaurant offers the yummiest and biggest prawn tempura I've ever seen. I kid you not, the tail and head of the prawns were poking out from under the bowl lid when it was served.

I first learnt about this place from Night Owls Cinematic's vlog (link here) and since I was staying in the neighbourhood where it was at, Asakusa, it warrant a visit from us. Daikokuya was located very near the famous Sensoji temple and just off the shopping row of Nakamise. It has two branches,the original and the new bigger branch which was just a row over to accommodate its growing popularity amongst the locals and tourists. Google maps took us to the old branch which was closed during lunch when we visited but there were clear signs directing us to the new branch nearby.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Taking part in a 24+ hours obstacle race was perhaps one of the craziest things I've done for 2015 and that included hiking up Mount Fuji in a typhoon. Joining Viper 2Four with my team C2T2 (Cherrie, Choon, Terence and myself), was also the most fun and rewarding experience I had.

My team checked into the race site at Sepang International Circuit on 5 December at 6am and met up with the other teams from Original Bootcamp. We picked our allocated 10 x 10 feet space near the finish line and the medic tent and quickly made ourselves at home alongside fellow bootcampers Team Spam-Tastic 4 and the group of super individual participants, Dugong Elites.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

So this little hidden jem of a waffle place just opened down the road from my office and I cannot be any happier. Fluffed cafe opened in mid-November and despite being new, have produced some lovely-looking and delicious waffles with interesting combinations of toppings and ice-cream.

Pooh Bear's Favourite was quickly the favourite amongst us as it came with hokeypokey ice-cream which wasn't too sweet actually. A generous drizzle of salted caramel, crushed honeycomb, banana, strawberry and blueberry atop the waffle - light, fluffy and crunchy all in one - won us over at first bite. Mind you, we were having this after a pretty heavy Thai lunch so for us to be lapping it all up spoke of its yumminess.

Friday, December 4, 2015

Thanks to Sandisk Malaysia, I have not one but TWO of their latest mobile storage devices up for grabs.

The first is the SanDisk Extreme 500 Portable SSD. Wait no longer as it feature speeds of up to four times faster than a portable hard drive. These powerful solutions are ideal for photographers, videographers, creative professionals and tech enthusiasts looking to move massive files at phenomenal speeds, helping them save time and simplify their work at the office or out in the field.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Ah, the rope climb. The immortal enemy of many Spartan racers worldwide.

So far, all the Spartan Races I have taken part in have had the dreaded rope climb. Sometimes, even two. Basically you can always count on Spartan to have its signature rope climb obstacle. Fortunately, this is an obstacle that can be defeated and conquered by learning the proper climbing technique(s).

Monday, November 30, 2015

I spent my Sunday morning stretching and turnings parts of my body into lotus positions and downward dog poses, all thanks to Zespri Malaysia and was left lying flat on my back at the end of the 1 hour session by Atilia Haron at Yoga One That I want Studio in Damansara Perdana. It was okay because all these unnatural poses were good for the digestive system.

While at that point of time, I can't comment if yoga helped with my digestive system but I do know that it helped loosen up my joints for an evening run I did later that same day. According to Zespri Malaysia, there are seven simple steps that a person can follow to assist their digestive health to work and process smoother.

Friday, November 27, 2015

It has always been the global policy of Spartan Race that a Trifecta has to be earned within a calendar year (January to December). This is a policy and code honoured by all Trifecta holders around the world, regardless if they got it in Australia, America or Dubai. It was this policy that drove my team and I to dedicate an entire year of training and saving up just to travel to Australia in order to obtain my Trifecta. And I did.

And then, Spartan Race Malaysia, just coming off the high of their inaugural Spartan Sprint KL on 10-11 October 2015, announced in an email that Spartan Race KL 2015 will count towards the 2016 Trifecta.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

"The clothes maketh the man, while the film character’s costume maketh the character." - Mr Michael Binger, Chief Executive Officer of Triple Pte Ltd, the exclusive distributor of Under Armour in Southeast Asia.

Under Armour, honours the iconic Star Wars films with the launch of the Star Wars: The Imperial Collection apparel series. Join in the excitement leading up to the premiere of the return of Star Wars to the big screen after a decade, the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, before the release of the film in mid-December. The new collection is an extension of the ongoing collaboration with Star Wars for the label’s Alter Ego line.

Friday, November 20, 2015

In contrast to the bustling city that was Tokyo, the downtown area of Asakusa held a charm of its own. With the old city mesh with the draw of a tourist attraction that was the Sensoji temple, Asakusa was a really nice place to stay. My accommodation was booked at Khaosan Tokyo Origami hostel, right smack in the backyard of Sensoji temple and from there, exploring Asakusa was great fun.

Sensoji Temple
I had just descended from Mount Fuji that day but despite the weariness in my body, I was excited to explore the downtown. So as soon as I was washed up, I headed out to wander about Sensoji temple once the sun has gone down and it was gorgeous.

It was a great difference from the crowded afternoon ambiance and the structures were beautifully lilted with the night illumination. If anything, the temple seemed to come alive in the evenings, making the entire place more mysterious. The Sensoji temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

I missed Kuala Lumpur's first ever Spartan Sprint in October due to my adventures in Sydney-Melbourne (which I have yet to blog about. Stay tune!). The busybody in me wanted to see what a Spartan Race in Asia was like so I registered for Singapore's first ever Spartan Sprint which took place on 15 November 2015 alongside Nicoll Highway.

Some initial impressions based on prior obstacle races I've done in Singapore: Singapore is too urban and clean for it to be a Spartan Race experience like Australia and at the same time, have a lot of rules to abide by when it comes to cleanliness. I figured these factors would affect the race setup and indeed it did.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

If there was one obstacle that sends shivers down the spines of even the most seasoned Spartan Elites and racer, it would be the spear throw. All Spartan race regardless if it is a Sprint, Super, Beast or Ultra Beast, have a spear throw obstacle (or two) somewhere in the course.

The rules of the spear throw are simple.
1. Pick up the spear
2. Throw it.
3. The aim is to make sure it sticks in the target or goes through the center of the tire as done in Australia.

Friday, November 6, 2015

I love getting fit and working towards a personal fitness goal. It gives me direction and some thing to focus on that is beneficial for myself and no one else. Most importantly it made me take care of me.

And this was the core message shared at the launch of Under Armour's Women of Will Campaign on the rooftop of Avenue K. Held in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month, the campaign celebrates the Pink Ribbon cause. And even though BCA month is over, Under Armour continues to carry this purpose strongly in its stores with donations pledges made from 10% of all proceeds from its Power in Pink range for the entire month of October to Breast Cancer Welfare Association. In addition to proceeds benefiting BCWA, Under Armour has also set up donation boxes at all Brand Houses to be used at the discretion of patrons.

Monday, October 26, 2015

When looking for a place to stay in Tokyo, I came across the Khaosan hostel branch. With Asakusa as their center point of their hostels, I was intrigued by the thought of staying in the older downtown area of Tokyo and furthermore a friend highly recommended it. I opted for Khaosan Origami hostel, located in the quieter section of Asakusa, right behind the iconic and beautiful Senso-ji temple.

Khaosan Origami was about a 10 minutes walk from the train and subway stations of Asakusa. While lugging suitcases might be a bit troublesome, the walk to and from the hostel was rather nice as I got to really soak in the bustling crowd and colours of Asakusa's food and attractions during the day and the quietness stillness of that same area at the night.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Tough Mudder oh Tough Mudder. You hold a special place in my heart. You were the first obstacle race I ever signed my life over to, the first obstacle race I tackled abroad. The first of many to come. The start of the depletion of my retirement and investment funds....

So anyway, a week after Spartan Stadium in Sydney, I flew to Melbourne to take part in Tough Mudder which took place in Broadford State Motorcycle Complex. An hour's drive to the race site consisted of driving within the speed limit, slowing down at speed traps and praying for a sunny day out. The last time I did an obstacle course in Melbourne, I nearly froze to death.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Whiskas Malaysia has crowned the winner of its recent National Cat of the Year 2015 grand finale held at AEON AU2 Setiawangsa. In a heated and intense show-and-tell performance, 15 cat owners showed off their beloved furkids to a panel of judges consisting of celebrity Syakila Nisha Jangir, better known as Kilafairy, Khalid Rashid, President of the Malaysia Cat Club and Dr Susan Wan, veterinarian from Whiskas Malaysia.

Four titles were up for grabs that day; the grand NCOTY champion as well as three categories winner; Bright Eyes, Shiny Fur Coat and Lively and Energetic - which are the three signs that epitomizes a health cat. At the end of the event, . Cha Cha, a five month old cat owned by Nurul Hanin binti Ismail, was judged to be the cat that best epitomised the 3 key signs of a healthy cat. The parent and furkid took home a cash prize of RM10,000 and a year’s supply of Whiskas cat food.

Monday, October 19, 2015

One of my favourite obstacle course races, the Reebok Spartan Race has officially landed on home turf and I AM NOT AROUND TO JOIN IT!

In all due fairness, I had already waaaay beforehand, booked and paid the super expensive registration fee for Spartan Race Sydney Super and Sprint in pursuit of completing the Trifecta this year. So on the very same day, I was in Australia killing myself in their crazy new innovative 300 obstacle (which you can read about in the links at the bottom of the post), Malaysia got its first taste of a Spartan Race.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

5 weeks prior to this event, I was in Melbourne for just one weekend to race in the chilly temps, all for the Spartan Beast medal, the first piece to the end game: the elusive Spartan Trifecta. You can read about it here. It was an end game that finally bore fruit in Sydney at the iconic ANZ Stadium where not one but two Spartan races were held; the Super and the Sprint.

Getting the Trifecta was the objective of this race but Spartan Sydney this time also had lured me in with the world premier of the stadium combo – the Super and Sprint in one as well as the exclusive Spartan 300 - a series of ninja-warrior like obstacles that flows into one another without giving participants rest as the main finisher. And I got to try it twice.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Due to an unfortunate route cancellation by AirAsia X to Narita Airport, my plans for Tokyo were in jeopardy. I was to lose a day in the city because my flight was pushed to the afternoon flight to Haneda airport. Furthermore, I was climbing Mount Fuji the day after, making getting sufficient rest crucial.

With my flight landing close to midnight, I considered just roughing it out and sleeping at the airport as it made no sense to waste a night’s stay on accommodation in the city. But a quick Google search showed me that I had other alternatives. In the form of First Cabin Capsule Hotel at Haneda Domestic Airport Terminal No 1. So I booked a room or rather a bed through their website and got confirmation instantly.

First Cabin was anything but the typical capsule hotel. The lobby gave off the impression of a classy luxury hotel with low lighting. The reception was 24 hours so when I got there after 12pm, check-in was done fast and I was ready to jump into the bed by 1am.

Monday, October 5, 2015

Eight months of training finally came down to this. The first pit-stop to getting my Spartan Trifecta was the Spartan Beast Melbourne. Located at the scenic Lake Dewar, we anticipated lovely trails, challenging obstacles, refreshing lakes to swim in and a cooling weather to race in. We got and loved the first two, the last two not so much.

After Spartan South Korea's unfortunate postponement due to MERS, my team and I had little choice but to sign up for the Spartan Beast in Melbourne in order to get the green piece of the elusive Trifecta medal. Already short on leave days from work and quickly depleting finances (say bye bye retirement fund), Melbourne was a short trip. So short we literally only spent a night at Lake Dewar YMCA hostel, a stone's thrown from the start line. We flew in the day before the race and was out on the night after the race.

Call us crazy but only crazies would dedicate a year of training and shuffling around travel plans to chasing three pieces of metal.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

As soon we arrived at Goraikoukan, we were given two big plastic bags for our wet backpacks and shoes. We were shown to our allocated sleeping space in a tight room filled with four rows of bunk beds that fitted about 25 people per row per bunk. You do the maths. Needless to say it was quite a tight squeeze.

If the term mountain hut wasn't clear earlier, it was now and it occurred to me why some would choose to bullet climb through the night. The mountain hut wasn't exactly the ideal place for a night's rest before a summit attempt.

Our backpacks and shoes were hung above the foot of our sleeping space and I opted to quickly change out of my drenched clothes into my dry spares which thankfully escaped the rain. There weren't any showers though and the toilets were outside, about a 25 meter dash from the main entrance in the freezing cold.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

I shall not start off my account of climbing Mount Fuji with that famous Mount Fuji-related quote that seems to be in every website and blogs I encountered when researching the climb. But I'll start off by saying DO NOT CLIMB MOUNT FUJI IN A TYPHOON.

In all fairness, when I booked my flight to Tokyo, Mount Fuji wasn't even on my mind. It only grew on me later and when climbing season was announced, it coincided with my trip. Usually official climbing season for Mount Fuji is from July to August but for the official dates, you would need to check the Mount Fuji site here as it changes each year.

It also so happened that my hike which took place on 1 September, coincided with an approaching typhoon. That meant rain and rain and oh, god, so much rain. In the weeks prior to my trip, I monitored the weather and boy, it did not look good. Oddly enough, cancelling the entire hike never occurred to me and even when my hike mate suggested it the day before the hike, I shot it down. Fuck you, dumbass. I invested too much in this! (I really didn't, just loads of time on research and booking arrangements)

Friday, September 25, 2015

The Zipangu restaurant of Shangri-La Hotel has a new face and that is the award-winning Chef Hiroaki Karasawa. Previously the Chief Chef of Nadaman Japanese restaurant at Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Chef Karasawa strives in traditional Japanese cuisine.

Guests and diners of Zipangu can get a whiff, see and taste Chef Karasawa's delectable culinary skills and creations that has won him the Japanese Cuisine Category Award 2014, The Second China Michelin; The Best Japanese Restaurant 2014, Modern Weekly Magazine; and The Best Japanese and Korean Restaurant Time Out Beijing in 2011 and 2014.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

My friend, Brigitte told me about this place or rather she wooed me with images of its adorable overhead light fixtures designed to look like olden day canned food and of course, its tantalising looking food. It was located in Taman Desa, just off the highway heading to Cheras and driving there pre-Merdeka day, the roads were empty.

Parking was FOC on the weekend and it wasn't hard to locate the cafe as it was at the entrance of Faber Towers. Its huge Macaroni sign inside the cafe was an instant eye-catching if the lightings weren't already.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

It's time to announce the winner of my Fukubukuro bag from Japan. Surprisingly buying stuff for the bag wasn't as easy as I expected because I kept thinking 'will they like this?, do they know about this culture or pop culture reference and of course, can it fit in my suitcase'.

Anyway, I know you have been waiting anxiously for the results so without further ado, here it is.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

So you have conquered the Viper Challenge, Arena Challenge in the Dark, King of the Mountain and almost every obstacle challenge there is in Asia. Now it's time to challenge yourself by going longer and harder.

Introducing Viper 2 Four.

Brought to you by the organisers of Viper Challenge, Viper 2 Four is Asia's only obstacle endurance event where participants can compete individually or in a team of four. All one needs to do is complete as many rounds of the course as possible within a 24 hour time period. As daunting as it sounds, it doesn't need to be when you have a team and/or support crew to rely on for support. The top three in each category of male, female and team will stand a chance to walk away with cash prizes.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

My current iPhone 4Gs has lasted approximately 5 years and it didn't surprise me when the battery drained fast and dies on me even at 40%. It was infuriating though as I need my phone for work or even to waze while on the go. Even when all I wanted to do was take a picture, the battery would just die on me.

Well, enough was enough.

At the constant bugging of a colleague, I finally succumbed and agreed to replace the battery since I was too broke to buy a new phone.

source: foursquare

One fine day, she introduced me to iPhoneFix at Centerpoint Bandar Utama. As soon as we entered the place, the big boss asked us what were the symptoms of our phones, quickly listing down my current phone problems to which I nodded to.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Chicken Tandoori is one of my favourite dishes at the local mamak. However not all mamak offers it and finding a good one can be tricky. I am lucky though that there are not one but two mamak near my house that serves up pretty good Chicken Tandoori. But of course, we all know that as yummy as it is, Chicken Tandoori isn't exactly healthy.

Enter the Philips Airfryer to help switch up this local cuisine to a healthy and just as delicious treat.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Ladies, we are a species that is definitely spoiled for choice when it comes to clothes. Even when it comes to sports attires and shoes, we often find that our main crisis is the colour and design of the shoes. Because we want to look fashionable.

There's nothing wrong with that but did you know that the way you walk or run is also affected by your sports shoes and vice versa? So it doesn't matter if you're a hardcore runner or just want to get a good sweat in, selecting the right running shoes can take your miles in your workout but at the same time, can also be quite a challenge to find. Zalora Malaysia has put together a few tips to picking out the right kind of shoes for you.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

With Malaysia Day just around the corner, time to hit the kitchen and start whipping up the local cuisines we Malaysians are so proud of. One particular popular meal is Nasi Goreng Kampung, a dish easily available at mamaks and restaurants almost everywhere but we all know that those are unhealthy especially when cooked with reused oil and super fried to the max! Using a Philips Pressure Cooker, you can serve up Nasi Goreng Kampung, the healthy way.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

adidas, the world’s top sports brand has recently became the Official Apparel partner for the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2015 and will be seen supplying the authorised marathon racing top.

In conjunction with this grand partnership, adidas launches its exclusive Standard Chartered KL Marathon licensed merchandise to celebrate this momentous collaboration. Tailored to suit for the upcoming marathon, the licensed merchandise range includes the Fall/Winter 2015 Supernova Glide BOOST running shoes series, the ‘run’ ClimaLite® top for men and women, a limited edition cap as well as a handy water bottle by adidas.